So while most people are talking about the rain, the quarterback, the coaching being the reason for the huge blowout loss against Alabama, I have a different opinion.
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I think it is recruiting. Don`t get me wrong, Georgia is going in the right direction. Actually, they are going in a great direction, but they do not have enough pieces to the puzzle to make a whole picture. That is because of 2013. The most important part of a college team is its juniors. These are the kids that are playing for draft stock. It just so happens that this class is not only UGA`s worst class in memory, but a lot of the players that did sign is gone.
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Let`s take a look.
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Start with winning the state battle. The 2015 (freshman) class was great! The Dawgs grabbed 5 of the top 10 players in the state, including number one player in the country Trent Thompson. Toss in a total of two-five stars, and eleven-four star players this year`s freshman will make an impact in a few years.
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Now let`s look at this year`s sophomore class. The Dawgs still didn`t pull off a great one, but did grab three of the state`s top 10 players, Lorenzo Carter, Malkom Parish and Nick Chubb. They did complement it having three-five stars and 10-four stars. All but one, Jacob Park is still with the team. They did lose Rico Johnson who had to leave football from an injury, Hunter Atkinson quite the game and Detric Bing-Dukes transferred out.
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Now this is where things start to hurt. In 2013, UGA signed two of the top 10 players in the state; Trey Matthews and Brice Ramsey. Leaving guys like Robert Nkemdiche, Montravius Adams, Carl Lawson, Alvin Kamara, Demarcus Robinson, all to leave the state and make their names elsewhere.
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Let`s take a closer look at that class. Not a single five-star. And 11-four stars. You would think `that`s not bad`, but after a class of 34 recruits signed, 8 transferred (including four of the top 6 players – Trey Matthews, Trammel Terry, Shaq Wiggins and Brendon Langley), 2 are graduated JUCO players and four others quit for various reason.
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That brings us to our senior class. The 2012 class was pretty good, however, most of the top players are already gone as well. The gem of the class Josh Harvey Clemons is now playing for Louisville, Todd Gurley is now in the pro`s and Keith Marshall is working to make sure he doesn`t have a limp for the rest of his life. The top athlete in the class Sheldon Dawson is also gone.
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The team does have a few redshirts left on this team which includes Malcom Mitchell, Jay Rome, Sterling Bailey and Hunter Long.
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This all being said, Alabama has a host of five and four stars on its roster. As Georgia continues to recruit well, barring a catastrophe, stud commits such as Jacob Eason, Julian Rochester, Ben Cleveland, Charlie Worner added to the possibility of Issac Nauta, Derrick Brown, Kyle Davis could make this team really, really dangerous in two seasons. Patience is a virtue. The Bulldog Nation has had to have it for 35 years. Coach Mark Richt I believe has two more signing classes to prove what he has as a coach. The stars are lining and with the addition to this plus the last two classes, excuses are running out.
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Keep the faith, the Dawgs destiny is still in their hands.
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Follow me on Twitter @TheTonyPotts
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<b>Tony Potts</b>
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<ul> Last week`s Potts` Picks would have put me in bankruptcy (5-5) if I had gone to Vegas. I am now 32 for 50 on the year.
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<li>Alabama over Arkansas
<li>TCU over Kansas State
<li>Oklahoma over Texas
<li>Clemson over Georgia Tech
<li>Northwestern over Michigan
<li>Florida over Mizzu
<li>Utah over Cal
<li>FSU over Miami
<li>Georgia over Tennessee
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